Chickens

The health and welfare of all livestock is paramount, with clean water essential for producing top quality stock. The Quill Drinker is the ONLY nipple system that oscillates whilst in use, reducing boredom and therefore feather pecking on all ages and types of poultry.

Approved by Freedom Food, the Quill Drinker is a product that we know can dramatically enhance the life of all poultry.  Used inside, the Quill Drinker can take birds from day olds to adults in one simple process and offers a much more hygienic way of getting water to birds than the conventional bell shaped drinker.

The advantages of using the Quill Drinker over an open water system, for whatever age of birds, are clear – the benefit of cleaner water therefore a reduction in disease, drier bedding and reduced time and labour for staff (the drinkers do not need to be cleaned out on a daily basis, only between flocks) are all benefits that poultry farmers will observe, as soon as the drinkers are installed.

Feather Pecking

Fact: Boredom plays a major part in feather pecking.

Static drinkers, whether bell shaped or nipple lines, offer the bird no variation in their daily routine – they simply have a drink and move on to feed, or perhaps peck their nearest neighbour. This is where the Quill Drinker is fundamentally different.  Whilst operating inside units of any kind, the drinker oscillates throughout use, making the birds constantly follow and look for the nipples. This increases the amount of time each bird is occupied throughout the day and has been shown to reduce boredom and feather pecking in flocks where Quill Drinkers are present, either as the primary drinking system or as an invaluable addition to nipple lines.

The drinkers themselves are extremely easy to set up and maintain and operate off the same internal plumbing as units currently operating on bell drinkers. For producers wishing to change over to the unique Quill Drinking system there is therefore very little change needed to integrate the drinkers within their units.

Success

The success of the patented Quill Drinker lies in the 10 high flow rate nipples fitted to each drinker. The flow rate through the nipples is controlled by changing the level of water within the drinker and can, if required reach over 100 millilitres per minute. This is achieved using the reliable and proven Rainbow Valve which is easy to adjust and has a safety shut off feature. Using the valve to control water flow is simple, the higher the water level is in the drinker, the higher the flow rate through the nipples, the lower the water level, the lower the flow rate and so on. This allows the producer complete control over the flow of water going to his or her birds. The nipples used in the Quill Drinker are the 360º nipples, this means that they can be activated from any side. 

The drinker’s slim, triangular design prevents birds perching on it and allows unhindered flow of birds throughout the unit.

Rats can be a problem for poultry producers, especially on extensive free range and organic systems, but use of the Quill Drinker can help play a part in reducing the problem. Producers who use a liquid rodenticide find that rats have to use this as their main water source as they are unable to drink from the Quill Drinker.

The Quill Drinker also offers the advantage over a fixed nipple line of being able to be positioned throughout the house, preventing on some units, a wall of birds forming in front of the nest boxes. It also results in the poultry farmer being able to walk more freely among his flock.

For those producers wishing to have an extremely simple drinking system providing their birds with clean, uncontaminated water at all times whilst helping to alleviate boredom, the Quill Drinker is a must. On top of this,  producers wishing to change from bell drinkers to nipples, the Quill Drinker is the number one system to use. Unlike nipple lines where the change must be 'all or nothing', Quill Drinkers can replace bell drinkers at a pace to suit the proprietors own requirements. This means houses can be changed over gradually, even while flocks are housed.

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